Now

“I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord” (Psalm 27:13-14).

The strength and depth of these two verses cannot be measured, weighed, or even properly communicated.

I wouldn’t be able to make it in this world of the walking dead if I didn’t know, truly know in my spirit and soul that my eventuality is with God and His promise. Where the future is no more, and the past is dissolved away, where I will be in the present, and in the presence of the true, the righteous, the loving.

This is what I wait for. The drop of time that is slow, steady and constant will turn into nothing but, “now”, an everlasting of bliss with our Creator.

The phrase, “I had fainted” which appears in italic in most Bibles, was added by the translator. It was done so with the upmost of good intentions, not just to make good sense of the sentence structure, but in an attempt to more clearly communicate the idea.

There are musical notations called, “rests” written into music that give instructions to the musician to stop playing or singing. In the Bible, primarily in the Book of Psalms the word, “Selah” is used to accomplish the same thing, but more importantly, it is to compel the listener to contemplate and ponder over what was just sung.

Pause and give this due thought and consideration: “Unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living”.

Stop and really investigate your soul and spirit with that question, the question which deposits you into the world and realm of, “What would I do if there was no God, no promise?”

What would you do in this domain if you did not believe there was a next?

Selah.

Bill Hitchcock

Cast Me Not Away

“Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me” (Psalm 51:11).

David’s greatest fear was to be separated from God. A lot of the Psalms express this very fear. Separation from God should be our greatest fear too! To completely eliminate God from our life would be a horror too great to bear. To recognize the magnitude and scope of this void would be to recognize what we take for granted, and that is what God does for us every day, every hour and every second of our lives.

Unfortunately, man tends to think the only time God does something for him is when God does something grand, glorious and obvious. Man believes that God’s doings are restricted to miracles and divine interventions. Other than that, we think God pretty much takes a back seat and let’s “nature take its course”.

But here’s the thing about nature. God IS nature, or better put, nature is a manifestation and creation of God. God can be witnessed by all living creatures through nature, which reveals His nature. God is seen by all, whether they comprehend Him specifically or not is not the issue. But something supreme is understood by all.

“But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee: Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee. Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this? In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind” (Job 12: 7-10).

"God’s entire divine nature is wholly and entirely in all creatures, more deeply, more inwardly, more present than the creature is to itself." (Martin Luther)

That spiritual feeling some folks experience when they are in nature is nothing more than the Holy Ghost inside of them reacting to the presence of God. Some are deceived into thinking that the creation is God, the Supreme Being. They worship the trees, mountains, animals, the ground and anything else to do with “nature”. They believe that in nature is some cosmic and universal life force. They are correct, there is a cosmic and universal life force. But it is God the creator and not nature the created that these deceived folks believe.

Sadly, some do understand that it is God being revealed through nature, but they refuse to acknowledge or accept it. Denying truth has no effect on truth, but does determine their consequence to truth.

“Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools…….Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves (Romans 1:21, 22, 24).

Did you catch that? God, “gave them up”.

God is in nature. God is nature. Those who claim to be “spiritual” but not Godly have been blinded by the devil. It is God they feel, it is God they are reacting to. But the devil has diverted those feelings to the creation and away from the creator.

“In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (2 Corinthians 4:4).

Generally speaking, man tends to think of God in terms of creation, but never in terms of God who maintains and sustains what He has created. God didn’t create heaven and earth and then walk away.  

“For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist” (Colossians 1:16-17).

Did you catch that last part?

1. God is before all things.

2. God created all things (His job doesn’t stop here).

3. All things “consist” by God.

Consist means to hold together; as in the entire planet, stars, moon and the universe. God is active in, “upholding all things by the word of his power” (Hebrews 1:3).

“To uphold or to bear here means to preserve or to continue all that is created in its own state; for he intimates that all things would instantly come to nothing, were they not sustained by his power” (John Calvin).

Creation is past tense. “Consist” and “upholding all things” are very much active and in the present tense.

God, “giveth to all life, and breath, and all things….For in him we live, and move, and have our being” (Acts 17:25, 28).

Our very being, our very existence is presently and actively held in God’s hands. Every breath we take, every move we make, God is there.

“for all things come of thee” (1 Chronicles 29:14)

Which brings up an interesting point. God didn’t just create matter. God also created motion. God is the first cause of all things. God being the first cause, everything else is then the effect, or result of that cause. And the “things” in “upholding all things” goes beyond just physical things and motion. “Things” includes the, “visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers” (Colossians 1:16)

As Groucho Marx said in the movie, Animal Crackers, “Pardon me while I have a strange interlude”. 

The following “interlude” is from the second book of “Summa Contra Gentiles” by Thomas Aquinas. The brief snippet below sheds some light on God and creation and shows that God deals in realms well beyond just physical matter.

“Thus, God does not act only by moving and changing. On the other hand, every agent which cannot bring things into being except from pre-existing matter, acts only by moving and changing, for to make something out of matter is the result of some kind of motion or change. Therefore, to bring things into being without pre-existing matter is not impossible. Hence, God brings things into being without pre-existing matter….But God acts by no action which must be received in a patient, for His action is His substance….. Therefore, He requires no pre-existing matter in order to produce an effect.….. God who is pure act, must be absolutely prior to matter, and consequently the cause of it. Matter, then, is not necessarily presupposed for His action….it is evident that God’s action, which is without pre-existing matter and is called creation, is neither a motion nor a change, properly speaking. For all motion or change is the “act of that which exists potentially, as such.” But in the action which is creation, nothing potential pre-exists to receive the action, as we have just shown. Therefore, creation is not a motion or a change.” – Thomas Aquinas

“Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me….“If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. (Psalm 139: 2-5, 8-10).

Oh me, I truly hope you grasped ahold of the very last part from that Psalm. “Thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.” God is present and active in each of our lives right now, right here, in all aspects of our life; from a simple heart beat and the air we breathe, to being with us whether its in Heaven or Hell. God is omnipotent and omnipresent, not in some philosophical or theological sense, but in very real terms.

It was by the word of God that heaven and earth was created (Genesis 1). It was by that same word, “Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished” (1 Peter 3:6). But most importantly for us now, “the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store”.

To be “kept in store” is referring to the day by day operations, the maintenance and sustaining of heaven, earth and everything and anything connected with them. In other words, you, me, the dog, the sun, gravity, you name it and God literally has His hand in it, on it and around it.

To bring this point home, Peter makes plain and clear that we are “kept by the power of God” in the preamble of his first book (1 Peter 1:5).

Without God, there is nothing. Literally. I don’t know what you get if you take away nothing from nothing, but that’s what it would be like without God.

Now you understand David’s great fear and dread of being separated from God. Hopefully now you understand how entrenched God is in each of us, in every aspect of our life and how we simply would not exist without God. Even the atheist has a relationship with and dependency on God. They’re just too proud and arrogant to realize it.

Sin separates us from God. It is a spacer that pushes us away from Him. It blocks God from being in our life. Now you know why God, Jesus hate sin so much. Sin rips us away from Him. Repentance removes those spacers and acceptance of Christ as our Savior reunites us with our Lord.

Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.

Keep me Lord. Forgive me Lord.

Bill Hitchcock

Trial Of Your Faith

“That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:7)

Do you know what Peter found to be more precious than gold? It was, "the trial of your faith".

Please note, Peter didn't say your faith was more precious than gold. He said it was the trial of your faith. Why?

Even though your faith is “tried with fire”. This of course is a metaphor, just like faith being compared to gold was a metaphor. But the only thing that truly alters or destroys gold is the heat of the fire. Or, as Peter is pointing out, the heat actually improves the gold unto perfection.

As it is with faith (gold), it is the temptation (heat) of sin (fire) that alters, destroys, or improves the gold.

When heat is applied to gold it melts it. It also melts and separates all of the impurities mixed into the gold. Only under heat does the dross become separate, apparent, identifiable, and finally, capable of being disposed of.  

So Peter is making such an invaluable point. Your faith cannot reach its perfection until it has experienced the melting heat of the fire when we are able to properly identify sin that’s within us, able to see that sin is not of us, and finally rid ourselves of it for good.

Is the heat of the fire (temptation of sin) the only way to expose, extract and expel sin? No. The moment our spirit quickens to our Lord Jesus Christ our eyes begin to see, not only righteousness and salvation, but sin and death too. The closer to Christ we get the more our spiritual eyes see. This is also why it is most important to recognize repentance as a part of our daily spiritual life and not just a once in a life time event.

Don’t worry or fret when the heat and fire comes, because it will. Understand that this is the way our faith will be found unto, “praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ”.

Bill Hitchcock

Fear Of The Lord

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding” (Proverbs 9:10).

The “beginning of wisdom”, maybe better phrased as, the “beginning of comprehension”. In terms of God it is 1.The acceptance of the fact that there is a supreme being and 2. Acceptance of the fact that we will never understand the “breadth, and length, and depth, and height” (Ephesians 3:18) of that supremacy.

“God thundereth marvellously with his voice; great things doeth he, which we cannot comprehend…. Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out” (Job 37:5, 23).

Pride, which is one of, if not THE most detrimental sin of man, has a difficult time accepting something bigger than him, better than him and that is incomprehensible to him.

“Knowledge of the holy”, what is holy but that is righteous? Holy, righteousness, that which is pure and true, that which is of God. Holiness and righteousness are the attributes and characteristics of our Lord that we are to emulate and strive for and will become only through Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.

So what is this Proverb telling us? That man starts to catch on to the program when he accepts the fact that there is a God, that God is supreme and that God is righteous.

Fear, wisdom and understanding. Realization and awe, comprehension and awareness.

Bill Hitchcock

Cast Me Not Away

“Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me” (Psalm 51:11).

David’s greatest fear was to be separated from God. A lot of the Psalms express this very fear. Separation from God should be our greatest fear too! To completely eliminate God from our life would be a horror too great to bear. To recognize the magnitude and scope of this void would be to recognize what we take for granted, and that is what God does for us every day, every hour and every second of our lives.

Unfortunately, man tends to think the only time God does something for him is when God does something grand, glorious and obvious. Man believes that God’s doings are restricted to miracles and divine interventions. Other than that, we think God pretty much takes a back seat and let’s “nature take its course”.

But here’s the thing about nature. God IS nature, or better put, nature is a manifestation and creation of God. God can be witnessed by all living creatures through nature, which reveals His nature. God is seen by all, whether they comprehend Him specifically or not is not the issue. But something supreme is understood by all.

“But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee: Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee. Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this? In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind” (Job 12: 7-10).

"God’s entire divine nature is wholly and entirely in all creatures, more deeply, more inwardly, more present than the creature is to itself." (Martin Luther)

That spiritual feeling some folks experience when they are in nature is nothing more than the Holy Ghost inside of them reacting to the presence of God. Some are deceived into thinking that the creation is God, the Supreme Being. They worship the trees, mountains, animals, the ground and anything else to do with “nature”. They believe that in nature is some cosmic and universal life force. They are correct, there is a cosmic and universal life force. But it is God the creator and not nature the created that these deceived folks believe.

Sadly, some do understand that it is God being revealed through nature, but they refuse to acknowledge or accept it. Denying truth has no effect on truth, but does determine their consequence to truth.

“Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools…….Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves (Romans 1:21, 22, 24).

Did you catch that? God, “gave them up”.

God is in nature. God is nature. Those who claim to be “spiritual” but not Godly have been blinded by the devil. It is God they feel, it is God they are reacting to. But the devil has diverted those feelings to the creation and away from the creator.

“In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (2 Corinthians 4:4).

Generally speaking, man tends to think of God in terms of creation, but never in terms of God who maintains and sustains what He has created. God didn’t create heaven and earth and then walk away.  

“For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist” (Colossians 1:16-17).

Did you catch that last part?

1. God is before all things.

2. God created all things (His job doesn’t stop here).

3. All things “consist” by God.

Consist means to hold together; as in the entire planet, stars, moon and the universe. God is active in, “upholding all things by the word of his power” (Hebrews 1:3).

“To uphold or to bear here means to preserve or to continue all that is created in its own state; for he intimates that all things would instantly come to nothing, were they not sustained by his power” (John Calvin).

Creation is past tense. “Consist” and “upholding all things” are very much active and in the present tense.

God, “giveth to all life, and breath, and all things….For in him we live, and move, and have our being” (Acts 17:25, 28).

Our very being, our very existence is presently and actively held in God’s hands. Every breath we take, every move we make, God is there.

Which brings up an interesting point. God didn’t just create matter. God also created motion. God is the first cause of all things. God being the first cause, everything else is then the effect, or result of that cause. And the “things” in “upholding all things” goes beyond just physical things and motion. “Things” includes the, “visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers” (Colossians 1:16)

As Groucho Marx said in the movie, Animal Crackers, “Pardon me while I have a strange interlude”. The following “interlude” is from the second book of “Summa Contra Gentiles” by Thomas Aquinas. The brief snippet below sheds some light on God and creation and shows that God deals in realms well beyond just physical matter.

“Thus, God does not act only by moving and changing. On the other hand, every agent which cannot bring things into being except from pre-existing matter, acts only by moving and changing, for to make something out of matter is the result of some kind of motion or change. Therefore, to bring things into being without pre-existing matter is not impossible. Hence, God brings things into being without pre-existing matter….But God acts by no action which must be received in a patient, for His action is His substance….. Therefore, He requires no pre-existing matter in order to produce an effect.….. God who is pure act, must be absolutely prior to matter, and consequently the cause of it. Matter, then, is not necessarily presupposed for His action….it is evident that God’s action, which is without pre-existing matter and is called creation, is neither a motion nor a change, properly speaking. For all motion or change is the “act of that which exists potentially, as such.” But in the action which is creation, nothing potential pre-exists to receive the action, as we have just shown. Therefore, creation is not a motion or a change.” – Thomas Aquinas

“Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me….“If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. (Psalm 139: 2-5, 8-10).

Oh me, I truly hope you grasped the very last part from that Psalm. “Thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.” God is present and active in each of our lives right now, right here, in all aspects of our life; from a simple heart beat and the air we breathe, to being with us whether its in Heaven or Hell. God is omnipotent and omnipresent, not in some philosophical or theological sense, but in very real terms.

It was by the word of God that heaven and earth was created (Genesis 1). It was by that same word, “Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished” (1 Peter 3:6). But most importantly for us now, “the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store”.

To be “kept in store” is referring to the day by day operations, the maintenance and sustaining of heaven, earth and everything and anything connected with them. In other words, you, me, the dog, the sun, gravity, you name it and God literally has His hand in it, on it and around it.

Without God, there is nothing. Literally. I don’t know what you get if you take away nothing from nothing, but that’s what it would be like without God.

Now you understand David’s great fear and dread of being separated from God. Hopefully now you understand how entrenched God is in each of us, in every aspect of our life and how we simply would not exist without God. Even the atheist has a relationship with and dependency on God. They’re just too proud and arrogant to realize it.

Sin separates us from God. It is a spacer that pushes us away from Him. It blocks God from being in our life. Now you know why God, Jesus hate sin so much. Sin rips us away from Him. Repentance removes those spacers and acceptance of Christ as our Savior reunites us with our Lord.

Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.

Keep me Lord. Forgive me Lord.

Bill Hitchcock

Wait For Him

“The Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect. The counsel of the Lord standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.” (Psalm 33:10-11).

You can do nothing against the truth, only for it. But sometimes it takes time for the truth to be revealed or to be understood.

Notice in the above Psalm the mention of “for ever” and “all generations”. Never think something isn’t so, only because it isn’t right now.

“For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night” (Psalm 90:4)

“But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (2 Peter 3:8)

Our concept of time is different than the Lord’s. Therefore our need to do, to act upon, or what to believe in, is different than God.

For man, everything is in the future or the past. Our present consists of reaction to what has happened mixed with plans and preparations for what we hope or fear will happen.

For God everything is right now. What God says, He does. There is no difference in doing and saying for God because everything is in the present. But in man’s realm, everything is in another tense, in another sense. Often there is a great disparity for man between words and actions.

Without trying to jump into the deep end of the philosophical pool, Thomas Aquinas, the 13^th century friar, priest and philosopher does shed some light on the subject of time with a more, shall we say, a more Godly perspective of it:

“Time is the measure of movement….Further, whatever is always in its beginning, and always in its end, cannot cease and cannot begin; because what begins is not in its end, and what ceases is not in its beginning. But time always is in its beginning and end, because there is no time except "now" which is the end of the past and the beginning of the future. Therefore time cannot begin or end, and consequently neither can movement, the measure of what is time.”- Thomas Aquinas.

Time, words and act are all right now with God. There is no lull between word and act because God is always true, always righteous and always just. There is no decision to be made, no questions to be answered. God is. God acts with purpose and reason. God is true, righteous and just and what He does is true, righteous and just. Time as we know it is not required for any of it.

For man, time is a mercy and grace period. Time always and affords fallen man the ability and opportunity to discover and interact with God. Without time man and all His generations would be no different than those of the Antediluvian, destined for death and destruction.

Time, although painful, affords man the ability of discovery. Man is able to discover his sin as well as discover our Lord. Time allows for our choice and our salvation. Time is a saving grace, or at least in can be if man exercises the will God gave him and so chooses.

Time is the rate of change. God gives us a life time to change, to repent, to be saved.

“The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.” (Lamentations 3:24-26).

Bill Hitchcock

Delight

“Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” (Psalm 37:4)

Rarely do you hear of “delight” and “desires” being associated with worship or with God. All too often we think of pain, of giving up pleasures and of a life of sacrifice. But any pain associated with God is in reaction to sin. If there was no sin, there would be no pain.

Eventually, the children of God will be restored from our fallen, carnal state and pain will be no more.

“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” (Revelation 21:4).

Christ suffered on the cross. He experienced the ultimate pain. Why? Although perfect, Christ took on the sins of the world, each and every one of our sins, and paid the price for them. He loves each of us that much that He interceded for us at the cross. It was supposed to be you and I nailed up there. Jesus took our place.

When we accept Jesus, we accept the salvation He bought for us. His pain and suffering made it so we will never suffer the ultimate and eternal pain of Hell.

Bill Hitchcock

Him Shall He Teach

“What man is he that feareth the Lord? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose.” (Psalm 25:12)

This verse from Psalm 25 starts off with a qualifier. Qualifiers upset people. A qualifier demands a certain quality, attribute or characteristic in us. It is an if/then scenario, where we must be a certain way or meet a certain condition before God will do, allow or accept us.

This upsets a lot of people for it requires them to change, not God, and demands adherence to a Godly standard. Sin never likes that idea.

Let’s be perfectly clear. God loves all people. But God does not love or allow all qualities, attributes or characteristics of man. We have been given the perfect role model to emulate in Jesus Christ. There is no sin in Christ so therefore there can be no sin in us. What can’t be achieved our self because of our weakness in the skin, we are gifted and covered through Christ our Lord and Savior.

Who does God teach? According to the Psalm only those who hold God in reverence, awe and in Godly fear.

What does God teach them? There are two things. The first of course is righteousness and all things Godly. But the second, and that which the Psalm is referring to, is in the way that God chooses. This brings up several points.

First, does this mean that man does not have free will, because the Psalm tells us that God teaches, “in the way that he (God) shall choose”?

Yes, man has the freedom to choose. For example:

"A man's heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps." (Proverbs 16:9)

"The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand." (Psalm 37:23-24)

But there are consequences to every choice, be it positive or negative. God has predestined us and called us. This means the way has been mapped out and that God is calling and instructing us down a certain pathway. It is a straight and narrow way with a clear destination. But even though God made a clear map with clear directions to a final end, we can still choose to deviate from it. We can still choose to ignore God. We can still choose to do whatever we want to.

But there will be consequences if we do. Bad consequences. Eternal consequences. This is why God gave us a path and destination and is calling us to Him. He is trying to keep us from falling out of the way and making a fatal mistake.

Too many folks have the erroneous idea that God is some angry old guy in the sky just waiting to punish all those that break His arbitrary set of rules. I ask you to rethink that idea.

Think of a treacherous mountain. God has built a road around, through and over this mountain. He is calling out directions to us. Sometimes He puts up barricades that stop us from falling off the mountain, down thousands of feet to our death.

Now, would you be upset with God if, with full knowledge, you willingly ignored His warnings and willing plummeted to your death? No, I don’t think you would.

But let me tell you how the devil packages and sells the experience. The devil tells you that you can fly without aid of wings or parachute. He shows you pictures and video of folks in mid-air. He tells you everyone is doing it and shows you countless smiling faces, having fun as they glide, effortlessly through air. So you commit to the devil and take the plunge, against the warning and advice of God.

Everything is great wonderful at first. You take pictures and post selfies of the fantastic and fun time you are having. You become the envy of all your friends for being so bold and adventurous. You are cool and hip because you have proved God wrong. Forget God’s warning, I can fly! You’re a “bad boy”, the envy of all the guys and desired by all the girls.

But then the two thousand foot distance between the mountain top and the ground collapses to zero as you smack into the ground in a grand and glorious broken mess.  You now are paying the price for your sin. Some will survive the fall. Some the fall will totally destroy and kill. In any case, the devil has accomplished his goal of destroying you.

Sadly, the devil didn’t win. All you’ve done is to prove God correct, for we can do nothing against the truth, only for it.

God has a way, a righteous way chosen for us all. This holy highway keeps us away from falling into sin and death.

God also has a way that is unique to each of us, suited for how we were made and who we are.

Let me interject something here. The term “Free Will” is really a misnomer. The free and unobstructed carnal will of man would be the most destructive thing on the face of the planet. Man’s will unleashed and unfettered is the very abomination that God saw and moved to destroy.

“And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them” (Genesis 6:5-7).

Man’s free will since the fall is, “only evil continually” In Freudian terms, man’s will is pure “Id”, with no ego or superego to curtail its power and lust. Id seeks immediate gratification for all of its desires. That’s modern day carnal man and his free will, a beast called Id.

Adam Clarke, the famed 19^th century minister, theologian and scholar said, “Will is a free principle. Free will is as absurd as bound will: it is not will if it be not free; and if it be bound, it is no will”.

Clarke continues, “If a man be forced to believe, he believes not at all: it is the forcing power that believes, not the machine forced. If he be forced to obey, it is the forcing power that obeys; and he, as a machine, shows only the effect of this irresistible force. If a man be incapable of willing good and willing evil, he is incapable of being saved as a rational being; and if he acts only under an overwhelming compulsion, he is as incapable of being damned….The power to will and the power to act must necessarily come from God, who is the Author both of the soul and the body, and of all their powers and energies; but the act of volition and the act of working come from the man. God gives power to will: man wills through that power; God gives power to act, and man acts through that power. Without the power to will man can will nothing; without the power to work, man can do nothing. God neither wills for man, nor works in man's stead, but he furnishes him with power to do both; he is, therefore, accountable to God for these powers.” (Adam Clarke/ Christian Theology)

Yes! Man has a will. God gave us a will to use and exercise as we see fit.  But it is vitally important to understand that our entire journey here on earth is walking, “through the valley of the shadow of death” (Psalm 23:4).  

We must, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 peter 5:8).

"Present fear begetteth eternal security: fear God, which is above all, and no need to fear man at all." (Augustine)

But we fear God, so we hear God, and willingly respond to His call and choose to follow His holy highway.

“Where God sanctifies the heart he enlightens the head. We all wish to choose our way; but what a mercy is it when the Lord directs that choice, and makes free will to be goodwill! If we make our will God's will, God will let is have our will. God does not violate our will, but leaves much to our choice; nevertheless, he instructs our wills, and so we choose that which is well pleasing in his sight. The will should be subject to law; there is a way which we should choose, but so ignorant are we that we need to be taught, and so wilful that none but God himself can teach us effectually” (Charles Spurgeon).

Bill Hitchcock

Why We Pray

Can you think of any other category of prayer besides these seven? Doesn’t it become obvious that with these seven categories that we always have something to pray for and pray about?

Please, post your comments and any additional categories of prayer you can think of!

1. Problem resolution

2. Intercessory prayer (Problem resolution for other people)

3. Sin resolution/repentance

4. Guidance and advice

5. Conversing with God

6. Divine intervention (Praying for a miracle)

7. Gratitude and praise

Bill Hitchcock

All The Paths Of The Lord

“All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.” (Psalm 25:10).

We have to start with the obvious. “All” the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth. Not just some, but all of them. That does not exclude the various paths of the Lord from being something else in addition. It’s just in this one definitive statement, every single one of the paths of God are mercy and truth.

Mercy

Mercy, what is mercy? Mercy is pity, it is compassion and favor shown towards someone, who is usually guilty and/or undeserving of it.

By definition mercy is, “compassionate or kindly forbearance shown toward an offender, an enemy, or other person in one's power”. Source: Dictionary.com.

Praise the Lord for God’s mercy, for we certainly are undeserving of anything other than His wrath.

Truth

Pontius Pilate looked Jesus Christ in the face and asked, “What is truth?” (John 18:38). We know Christ to be the truth (John 14:6). But truth in context of this Psalm is to be understood in terms of faithfulness, constancy and loyalty. Truth is promise made, promise kept.

God can’t lie or deceive. What God says, is done, without question or fail (Hebrews 6:17-18). Because of these things, we can rest our hope in Him. It is this hope placed in God that, “we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast” (Hebrews 6:19).

Truth is our assurance that God’s word and God’s actions are one in the same.

And finally, there is the qualifier. The paths of truth and mercy are open only to, “such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.”

Here is a Biblical reality. All of God and His promises are made available to everyone. Unfortunately, few will exercise the option made available to them through the covenant relationship. Fewer still will adhere to the contents of that covenant agreement. Most Christians are Christian by name and not by life lived.

God’s promises and His mercy are available to those who, “keep his covenant and his testimonies.”

The wonderful thing about God is that we can repent of our sins, accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and return to Him at any time. It’s not like insurance where there is a specified time of open enrollment. Now is that time for God. 

But for those who may be saying, “Ah, I’ll do ‘God’ later”, think about this. Anyone that says or thinks they’ll do God later, simply does not have Christ in their heart. If they did, then they would act upon it right now.

Bill Hitchcock

The Meek Will He Guide

“The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.”(Psalm 25:9)

“Meek” is often thought of in derogatory terms. Describing someone as meek usually brings visions of a passive and weak person. But a Christian that is meek is anything but that. A meek Christian is one of controlled strength. They are pious, not sanctimonious. Quiet, not quiescent.  A meek Christian is humble and modest, with the strength of spirit with corresponding disposition and demeanor. This is not describing a weak person. Self-control requires the greatest strength of all, especially during the heat of battle.

The strength and power of the meek comes from the Holy Ghost residing within. It is that very same strength and power that constrains the baser drives of carnal man.

A meek person chooses to bear insult and injury rather than return same. The desire is to absorb and terminate the sin rather than respond in like kind and perpetuate it. This requires strength and control. It requires an overwhelming desire to serve God rather than serve self and satisfy brute desires.

The meek are amiable to God, willing to receive His judgments. God’s judgments are nothing more than God’s attributes and character. Whatever is good, pure, righteous and true is of God and “is” God.

God’s judgments are what guide the meek. They are the goal of the meek.

We as Christians are to be Christ like. We are to be meek, to have controlled strength and power that is fueled by the Holy Ghost within. We are to be willing to suffer the slings and arrows unjustly fired from the enemy. To curb the basil impulses and to live righteously. That is being meek. That is being Christ like.

Bill Hitchcock

Covenant

A covenant relationship with Jesus Christ. Actually, we can shorten that to just a “covenant with Jesus Christ”. And what is a covenant? It is a compact, an agreement……a contract.

Oops!

A contract is a legally binding agreement of specific terms and conditions between two or more parties. And if it is legal and binding, then it must also be enforceable, with consequences for not fulfilling the agreed upon commitment, obligation or duties.

Oops again!

Here are the components of a contract. This is intended to define a typical business contract, but notice how all of it directly applies to our covenant with Christ.

A) an offer; B) an acceptance of that offer which results in a meeting of the minds; C) a promise to perform; D) a valuable consideration (which can be a promise or payment in some form); E) a time or event when performance must be made (meet commitments); F) terms and conditions for performance, including fulfilling promises G) performance……Source: LAW.com.

By now I’m sure there is at least one person thinking I’m trying to drag Christianity back to the Jewish legal system of the Old Testament. Absolutely NOT!

But what many Christians do not realize is that when we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, that there is an obligation by us to Christ. As in any relationship there is a certain amount of give and take, all of which is motivated by heart, spirit and love and not by contractual obligation or fear of retribution through enforceable law.

The covenant relationship is a two way street. It isn’t, “OK God, do what you do and change me. I’ll wait.” Nor is it a matter of performing duties, being a good person, or adhering to a set of written rules and regulations.

All works and deeds by a Christian are motivated by the Spirit of Christ residing within them. A Christian is Christ like not by mandate or emulation but by His consuming love. When Christ is in you, nothing devilish will come out of you.

“For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth” (Ephesians 5:8)

The fruit of the Spirit, or what the Spirit produces is nothing but goodness, righteousness and truth. No lie, unrighteousness or unholy thing can come of the Spirit. These things are produced naturally and without thought or effort.

It must be understood that being a “good person” and doing “good deeds” is not the same as a Christ motivated person. The devil himself can and will, do “good deeds”. The devil himself is a “good person” when out and about roaming the world.

The road to Hell is paved with good works and good deeds and is the road traveled by many a “good” person.

Think about this. We do things for our loved ones, not by mandate, expecting nothing in return and take great pleasure in doing them without premeditation or being instructed to do so.  Why? Because we love them, we are motivated by love for them, and are not following any prescript or mandate. 

Think of all the things you do, great and small, for your husband, wife, kids, grandchildren, relatives, coworkers, neighbors, etc. Things like packing a lunch, paying a compliment, holding the door open, carrying someone to the store, giving money, mowing a yard, checking up on someone’s wellbeing…..the list is endless of the things, (works and deeds) that we do for the ones we love that are motivated purely by love.

It’s the same thing with our relationship with Christ. We do things for Jesus because we love Him. We don’t think about it. What are called good works and deeds flow out naturally with a Christ consumed heart. Sin becomes alien to us because of this loving relationship and inherent need to please Him. Love becomes the dominant trait of a Christian because after all, God is love! (1 John 4: 8 & 16).

Now let’s go back to those components of a contract. They describe perfectly our covenant relationship with Christ. But as you read them, don’t think law, legal and judicial system. Think spirit, think love. Think in terms of what God does to preserve and guarantee us an eternal life with Him.

A) Offer. Jesus Christ offers the world salvation through Him.

B) Acceptance. The offer is made to everyone. Sadly, few will accept the offer.

C) Promise. The promise is of peace, love and joy. The promise is righteousness and truth. The promise is God, He is our portion and our lot.

D) Valuable Consideration. That price has already been paid by Christ at the cross.

E) Time. The time is now for your salvation. The time when Christ returns is too late.

F) Terms and Conditions. Christ has fulfilled his part of the covenant. The ball is now in our court. The contract isn’t consummated until we do our part.

G) Performance. Just do it!

Christians are in a covenant relationship with Jesus Christ. Visit with your heart, spirit and soul to see exactly where that covenant relationship is. If you are not a Christian, then realize that the offer still stands, regardless of where you’ve been. Christ isn’t concerned about that. He’s concerned about where you are going.

Bill Hitchcock

Thoughts of Peace

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end” (Jeremiah 29:11).

Peace is that tranquility of soul which can come only through a covenant relationship with Jesus Christ. This peace through Christ goes beyond contentment and delivers us to completeness of spirit and soul. Complete, nothing lacking. Whole. Tranquility and completeness combine to make the ultimate and divine peace through Jesus Christ our Savior.

The “expected end” are the things hoped for. The things hoped for are the promises of God.

The one true God has, “thoughts of peace, and not of evil”. Remember that when you see religions of violence, preachers of hate and disciples of destruction working our streets, cities and neighborhoods. It is the Spirit of Antichrist in action.

Peace, love and tranquility are the true marks of God, not hate, violence and confusion.

Jesus said, “Peace I give you. My peace I leave you” (John 14:27). God is love (1 John 4:8).

But the devil, “comes only to steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10).

Love and peace, the Spirit of Christ-God.

Hate and destruction, spirit of antichrist-devil.

Bill Hitchcock

His Elect

“For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:29-31)

So you see, it isn’t us and our doings. It is God. It is always God who knew each of us before we were created. He set us to be shaped into the image of Jesus Christ. God then called each one of His children. Once called, God justified (made just) and then honored, glorified through Christ, in Him and of righteousness!

You better believe after all God has done for each of His elect, that no one nor thing could possibly stand a chance in opposition to us?

Bill Hitchcock

Poor

When you see the word “poor” in the Bible, there is a very good chance that it is not referencing finances. Even when the message presents poor in a financial manner, look for the true lesson being taught. The purpose of the Bible is the correction and preservation of your spirit and soul, not the health of your bank account, 401K, or stock portfolio.

Sometimes it can be a bit confusing. For example, Luke has Jesus saying:

“Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God” (Luke 6:20).

Reading the above, it could be misinterpreted to say that all those in abject poverty have direct access to heaven. Unfortunately, many people and even some religions believe this to be true. It isn’t.

In Matthew we find the same message more clearly stated:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3).

Once again, sometimes it can be confusing. For example, here we see Jesus warning us of the potential dangers of financial riches to the spirit and the virtues to be found by those who do not possess or pursue the purse.

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:  But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” Matthew 6:19-21).

Adam Clarke, the 19^th century theologian and minister sheds light on being “poor”:

“Riches produce care, anxiety, and dangers, and not the least is the danger of losing heaven by them. To be poor in spirit is to have a humble opinion of ourselves; to be sensible that we are sinners, and have no righteousness of our own; to be willing to be saved only by the rich grace and mercy of God; to be willing to be where God places us, to bear what he lays on us, to go where he bids us, and to die when he commands; to be willing to be in his hands, and to feel that we deserve no favor from him. It is opposed to pride, and vanity, and ambition” (Adam Clarke).

Do not misinterpret what is being said. A financially rich person can be rich in spirit in Christ just like a financially poor person can be. A financially poor person can also be poor in spirit too. A person’s financial status is not the issue. Their spiritual status is. The physical world is nothing more than a manifestation of the spiritual world. With that understanding, the Bible should always be read with spiritual eyes.

Interpretation and context of the Bible should be via the Holy Ghost, which is the Spirit of Christ. Let it. This why Jesus departed so that the Holy Ghost could fill us and guide us until the return of Christ.

“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come” (John 16:13)

When you get right with Christ then your world gets right, regardless of financial status, or for anything else going on in your life for that matter.

“Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:11-13).

Bill Hitchcock

Did You Catch That Last Part?

“But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” (Romans 8:9)

Did you catch that last part? If any man does not have the Spirit of Christ, the Holy Ghost in them, then Jesus has nothing to do with that person.

You believe in Jesus, but have you received His Spirit? Think about it. Remember James tells us that the devils believed in God and trembled! But they had no faith in Him and certainly had not received the Spirit of Christ into their heart. There is a heaven and hell difference between believing and receiving Jesus Christ.

“If any man have not the Spirit of Christ - the mind that was in him, produced there by the power of the Holy Ghost - he is none of his; he does not belong to the kingdom, flock, or family of God. This is an awful conclusion! Reader, lay it to heart” (Adam Clarke).

“The reign of the Spirit is the abolition of the flesh. Those in whom the Spirit reigns not, belong not to Christ; then they are not Christians who serve the flesh; for they who separate Christ from his own Spirit make him like a dead image or a carcase” (John Calvin).

“All the saints have flesh and spirit in them but to be in the flesh and to be in the Spirit are contrary. It denotes our being overcome and subdued by one of these principles. As we say, A man is in love, or in drink, that is, overcome by it. Now the great question is whether we are in the flesh or in the Spirit and how may we come to know it? Why, by enquiring whether the Spirit of God dwell in us. The Spirit dwelling in us is the best evidence of our being in the Spirit, for the indwelling is mutual” (Matthew Henry).

The only way to the Father is through His Son, Jesus Christ (John 14:6). We must not only believe in Christ, but must also receive His Spirit. Otherwise we are unable to receive the promise of Christ and will remain separated from God.

Bill Hitchcock